Scranton teachers have passed a vote of "no confidence" in district supervisors, the union announced at Tuesday night's school board meeting.

The meeting drew several heated and emotional exchanges, from raucous applause from teachers in support of their union president, to an argument among directors about pulling a motion to pass the 2013 tentative budget.

And as people left the meeting, board President Bob Lesh called a grandfather of four Isaac Tripp Elementary School students an "obnoxious bum."

The man, Jim McGough, came to the meeting with a petition signed by 220 parents, grandparents and caregivers of Tripp students, concerned about the pickup and drop-off arrangements now in place at the school. The parking lot is largely off limits during those times to allow for school buses, and those picking up students find a lack of parking in the neighborhood and an uphill walk to the school.

District officials said they would work to find a solution to the problem. Several times during the meeting at West Scranton High School, Mr. McGough made a comment directed at Mr. Lesh.

As Mr. Lesh passed Mr. McGough after the meeting, Mr. Lesh called him an "obnoxious bum."

"Where do you sit?" Mr. Lesh then asked him, motioning to his own seat as head of the board.

The vote of "no confidence" was approved during a union meeting Tuesday afternoon, in which about 500 of the 900 members attended.

"Lately it seems members of this local are treated with no respect," Rosemary Boland, president of the Scranton Federation of Teachers, told the board. "Members are very disgusted."

The contract is not being followed, and a team of supervisors is making unannounced visits to classrooms and critiquing teachers. The contract states only a building principal can evaluate teachers, Ms. Boland said.

And although supervisors are reworking curriculum, the district's curriculum committee, which includes union members, has not met, Ms. Boland said.

The main goal of the vote is to inform the district of the union's complaints, she said. Several grievances which have not been heard by the board will now be moved to arbitration, she said.

Superintendent William King said the district has "every intention of being collaborative."

Tentative budget

Directors were expected to approve the 2013 tentative budget Tuesday night, but as Kathleen McGuigan, chairwoman of the budget and finance committee, started to read the motion, Mr. Lesh stopped her.

Mr. Lesh said he called directors and a majority agreed to table the budget. Mrs. McGuigan said she never received a call.

The budget, presented at last week's work session, includes proposed expenditures of $121.8 million and proposed revenue of $116.7 million. Officials usually pass an unbalanced tentative budget and then balance it by the time of final passage in December. Earlier this year, the board voted to keep any possible tax increase within the district's index rate of 2.5 percent.

Mr. Lesh said he had several concerns about the way Gregg Sunday, deputy superintendent of finance, determined proposed revenue.

"I don't feel Mr. Sunday had the correct information," Mr. Lesh said.

A special meeting to pass the tentative budget may happen on Nov. 26, and after 30 days of public review, a final version could be passed on Dec. 27, Mr. Lesh said.

Mrs. McGuigan urged approval Tuesday night, to start the public viewing process. Mr. Lesh criticized Mrs. McGuigan for not holding any budget and finance committee meetings, but she said they usually happen in the 30 days between tentative budget approval and final approval.

"Over my dead body will there be a tax increase," Mr. Lesh said after the meeting.

Other business

- Teams from surrounding schools have asked West Scranton High School to give up its home games in its gymnasium, the school's athletic director Rick Bresser said. The small gym gives little room on the sidelines, and fans are often turned away, he said. Mr. Bresser said one option is to bump out the wall at the back of the school to provide additional bleacher seating.

- Guidance counselor Marci McDade Barnansky gave directors a letter from the district's guidance department, asking for the reinstatement of four counseling positions that were cut in the 2012 budget. The decrease in counselors has made it even more difficult to provide necessary services to students, she said.

- A contact for electricity with Green Mountain Energy was approved. The district is expected to save $440,000 over two years.

- More than $130,000 in change orders was approved for the paving, fencing and light project outside the district Administration Building. Mrs. McGuigan voted against the expense, citing concerns about why it was brought to the board after it was already completed.

- In a 7-2 vote, the board approved an $8,000 bill from Peters Design Group for an electrical cost analysis of West Scranton Intermediate. Mrs. McGuigan and Director Jason Shrive voted against paying the bill, stating that the study should not have been done without board approval first.

- Angela Duffy was hired as tax administrative assistant in the Scranton Single Tax Office, at a salary of $25,730. Kevin Cicci was hired as a technology assistant, at a salary of $13,245.75. Alicia Ashford was hired as a special education teacher, and Christopher D. Evans was named acting principal of Neil Armstrong Elementary.

- The district will share the cost of a 2011 audit of the Single Tax Office. The audit, by Bonita & Rainey, will cost the district and city of Scranton $17,500 each.

- The board honored Kathleen Kane, who became the first woman, and first Democrat, to be elected to serve as state attorney general. Ms. Kane is a West Scranton High School graduate and received a standing ovation from the crowd.

We welcome user discussion on our site, under the following guidelines:

To comment you must first create a profile and sign-in with a verified DISQUS account or social network ID. Sign up here.

Comments in violation of the rules will be denied, and repeat violators will be banned. Please help police the community by flagging offensive comments for our moderators to review. By posting a comment, you agree to our full terms and conditions. Click here to read terms and conditions.